Matt Arnold for CU Regent, Interview and Second Amendment Views

I never knew much about the Colorado University Regents and why they are important for this state before but the position is written into our state constitution The following link is to a great short article which that explains a lot of why they are important.

Regents of University.There shall be nine regents of the university of Colorado who shall be elected in the manner prescribed by law for terms of six years each. Said regents shall constitute a body corporate to be known by the name and style of “The Regents of the University of Colorado.”The board of regents shall select from among its members a chairman who shall conduct the meetings of the board and a vice­-chairman who shall assume the duties of the chairman in case of his absence.

I have met Matt Arnold and his lovely new wife Sarah on a few occasions and have been very impressed with both of them. Matt agreed to let me ask him some questions about his life and I really appreciate his answers. I believe Matt will make the very best C.U. Regent. Instead of my listing all of his views, I will let Matt tell you himself!

Matt, tell me about your interests, hobbies and what you like to do i your spare time?

I’ve always had a strong interest in history – particularly U.S. history from the time of the founding, military history, and European history (I accumulated just about enough credits to qualify for a history minor in college).

In general, I’ve always been a voracious reader: history, military, politics, current events, science & technology, and espionage/thrillers and science fiction for fun.
Hobbies include hiking, camping, climbing, shooting, parachuting (all of the preceding both in and out of the military), skiing (both Alpine, Nordic, and water-skiing), biking, volleyball, and (as a kid) building scale models.

Please fill in a bit of family background:

Although I’m a 5th generation Coloradoan, I was born in West Point, NY (my parents were out of state for military duty) and grew up overseas (in Aviano, Italy) before returning to Colorado to finish my schooling. I greatly enjoyed growing up as a military kid overseas – in many ways, the best of both worlds – learning other cultures and languages (I still speak fair Italian) while learning about America and our culture/history/heritage as well.
My parents both placed a high value on education (both having graduate degrees) and on values and principles – I’d say that they definitely started me on the right path in that regard.
My lovely wife, Sarah, I met (ironically) at a political event – a campaign management school put on by the Republican state party back in 2009. We kept in touch online (casually) for almost a year while she was out of state before we saw each other in person again in June 2010 and started dating (you might say it was a match made in Mafia Wars). ;-)
I proposed to her on Christmas Eve 2011 (she said yes) and we just recently got married (on 28 April 2012) -
two weeks after winning the top-line spot on the ballot at the GOP state convention.

Why are you running?

“Education,” as my friend and endorser Bob Schaffer said recently, “is the important domestic policy issue in America.” Thomas Jefferson knew, too, that “an educated populace is essential to preserving Liberty.”
For too log, the Education Establishment has pursued an agenda of indoctrination, not education – and at an increasingly higher price tag (CU tuition has tripled this decade).

Unless we do something to contain costs, AND reform educational content, our future as a nation is at stake.

What makes you better than the other fella for this office?

There are three main differences—first, I show up. Representing Colorado voters statewide means actually making it around the state – and I’ve reached (in person) over 40 counties in this state since announcing in late January.

The second is walking the walk. It’s not enough to offer platitudes, one needs to offer real ideas and propose real solutions. So far, I’m the only candidate in this race (regardless of political party) to offer any real ideas to address the ever-escalating cost of tuition, cut wasteful spending and improve the quality and relevance of educational content. Are those ideas a complete solution? Not yet – but we have to start somewhere, and we all owe it to the voters to let them know how we would tackle the tough issues, so they can select the best candidate to actually do the job, not just keep a seat warm.

And finally, look at our endorsements. Every endorsement I have received is from someone who knows me and trusts me to do the right thing—they’re not just supporters, but friends. Based on a statement at a recent debate, many of my opponent’s endorsements come from those who “don’t like” me rather than supporting him.
As Winston Churchill said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

What are your proudest professional accomplishments?

I am most proud of my most recent accomplishment – founding and leading the judicial accountability movement, Clear The Bench Colorado.

CTBC not only made a huge difference in Colorado – raising awareness about the importance of judicial retention elections (our right as Citizens to remove judges from office with our vote) and contributing to the removal of 2 “unjust justices” from office (Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey, and more recently Justice Alex Martinez, quit under pressure), but also made national news and helped to spark a resurgence of interest in judicial accountability across the nation. (Learn more about this ongoing effort at

I am also proud of my achievements as an Army officer – including deployments to Afghanistan, post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans (where I found and personally rescued my dog, Nola) and even disaster response preparedness for the 2008 Democrat National Convention in Denver, Colorado (I commanded a military urban search & rescue team ready to respond in the event of a “man-caused disaster” in the area of the convention).

What would you like to see for the future of CU?

I am proud to have graduated from the University of Colorado with honors (cum laude) and am proud of the many great achievements of CU graduates and faculty in contributing towards the expansion of knowledge. CU truly has many great programs, some of them world-class (many CU programs have earned top-10 rankings in a recent survey of U.S. colleges).

However, the reputation of CU has been tarnished by the likes of Ward Churchill, the ongoing and pervasive indoctrination that characterizes too many CU courses and degree programs, the imposition of “diversity” requirements (in admissions and required classes), lavish raises for administrators, and other diversions from CU’s core educational mission.

Moreover, while the quality and relevance (and reputation) of a CU education is being undermined, it has come at an increasingly higher cost. CU tuition has more than tripled this decade, and has been raised EVERY YEAR of the current incumbent’s term. We MUST focus our scarce fiscal resources on only those programs which improve the quality and relevance of educational content, and cut wasteful and irrelevant spending to reduce the pressure to drive up tuition.

How will you accomplish this?

First, focus on cutting wasteful and irrelevant spending. I am the only candidate for CU Regent (of any party, at any level) who has proposed real ideas towards reducing wasteful spending in the University of Colorado system – everything from increasing academic productivity (better allocation of instructor time) to performance-based state funding models to consolidating departments (how many “fill-in-the-blank studies” programs require an entire department?) or eliminating positions (do we really need multiple “diversity czars” pulling down 6-figure salaries?) to better managing administration compensation (the recent lavish salary raises for administrators funded by tuition increases rightly drew the ire of many observers).

Are these ideas the complete and final answer? Of course not – but they’re a start, and a good starting point for the discussion on containing costs and reforming educational content.

What are your future aspirations?

The CU Regent’s term is 6 years – and it will take at least that long to achieve real educational reform at the University of Colorado. At this point, I haven’t looked beyond that – frankly, taking on the Education Establishment will be a real battle. Whatever I end up doing, I will remain a true Constitutional Conservative, taking my oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the State of Colorado, against all enemies, foreign and domestic” very seriously.

What are your 2 Amendment views and how will you incorporate them into your job?

This is perhaps the strongest and most obvious difference between me and both my primary and general election opponents.

In contrast to both my primary and general election opponents, I am a STRONG supporter of the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Colorado Constitution, Article II (Bill of Rights), Section 13 (Right to Bear Arms):

Text of Section 13:Right to Bear ArmsThe right of no person to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person and property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall be called in question; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons.

In contrast to my primary opponent, I have taken a strong stance against the CU Gun Ban (illegally depriving Citizens of their constitutional and statutory rights to carry concealed):

However, in contrast to his characterization, the fight over gun rights at CU is far from “decided” – as the CU Regents are attempting an end-run around the law, as published in the Colorado Statesman in the state assembly edition (“CU Gun Ban back on table?” http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/993428-gossip-4132012)

Unless we can change the majority on the Board by adding a staunch pro-Second Amendment advocate willing to FIGHT for our rights, not only will CU implement these bad policies, but establish a precedent for end-runs around our constitutional rights.

There is only ONE strong Constitutional Conservative in this race – with a proven track record on taking a strong stand for the 2nd Amendment: Matt Arnold for CU Regent.